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Why don't we go semi-no huddle the whole game?

How obvious has it become that when they go traditional offense, the ain't doing so well. But when Ben gets to go no- or -semi no huddle, they move the ball much better? I trust Ben reading the pre-snap field and making the right calls better than having the calls sent in. I think if we went semi no huddle, we'd jump to a 14-21 point lead in many cases. Why not?

How obvious has it become that when they go traditional offense, the ain't doing so well. But when Ben gets to go no- or -semi no huddle, they move the ball much better? I trust Ben reading the pre-snap field and making the right calls better than having the calls sent in. I think if we went semi no huddle, we'd jump to a 14-21 point lead in many cases. Why not?

I have been calling for this for about 5 years now. Makes more sense to have your QB in shotgun reading the field pre-snap, spreading the defense out so they can't stack the box, and firing short passes because his offensive line is subpar...then to huddle the entire offense as close as they can to the center to have tons of blockers but only one or two targets for the QB to throw to. They bunch everyone into the box and then run 7 step drops and run the ball into the box loaded with defenders.

Just another example of the ultra conservative play not to lose approach the Rooney's force on the coaches, thus the team. The Pats spread teams out and force one on one match ups. We put everyone in the box and only throw to the sidelines or run at the bulk of the defenders in the box. That's why the Pats kick our butts most times we play. Sorry but they are easily the most well coached and well prepared team in the league.

We dont run a no huddle for the same reason no other team has ran a no huddle since the 1991 Buffalo Bills......Because the OC feels like he has no control! Its all about ego and no one will convince me otherwise.

How obvious has it become that when they go traditional offense, the ain't doing so well. But when Ben gets to go no- or -semi no huddle, they move the ball much better? I trust Ben reading the pre-snap field and making the right calls better than having the calls sent in. I think if we went semi no huddle, we'd jump to a 14-21 point lead in many cases. Why not?

I think it has a lot to do with having an older and injury-riddled defense which requires more time on the sidelines to recover between drives than they would get with the offense speeding things up.

Yes, but when they aren't making 1st downs, that's even harder on the D. And they can do that "muddle huddle" where it's not completely no huddle and they take about the same time, but still gives them the benefit of no huddle, in terms of not allowing the D to change personnel and allowing Ben to call plays and change them up at the line. Could that not help while giving the D time to rest? The best rest is a long drive, making 1st downs and this could help get that done.

I have been calling for this for about 5 years now. Makes more sense to have your QB in shotgun reading the field pre-snap, spreading the defense out so they can't stack the box, and firing short passes because his offensive line is subpar...then to huddle the entire offense as close as they can to the center to have tons of blockers but only one or two targets for the QB to throw to. They bunch everyone into the box and then run 7 step drops and run the ball into the box loaded with defenders.

Just another example of the ultra conservative play not to lose approach the Rooney's force on the coaches, thus the team. The Pats spread teams out and force one on one match ups. We put everyone in the box and only throw to the sidelines or run at the bulk of the defenders in the box. That's why the Pats kick our butts most times we play. Sorry but they are easily the most well coached and well prepared team in the league.

I agree. I was at a live game of Pgh-NE and it was so obvious that the Steeler way of lining up everyone tight in their offense was easy for NE to defend, but NE going spread allowed Brady to easily drive down the field for an easy go-ahead score. Now it has become apparent that the ultra-conservative "tight" formations are not from the coaches; it's a Rooney thing as it doesn't change with different coaching staffs. Rooneys are F-ng this up. Get the hell out of the coaches way; coaches coach, owners own. Players play.

We dont run a no huddle for the same reason no other team has ran a no huddle since the 1991 Buffalo Bills......Because the OC feels like he has no control! Its all about ego and no one will convince me otherwise.

Before I read your entire point, I was going to post that it was all about ego and control. But you said it. I totally agree. Winning is the ultimate goal. Power trip and ego control should not come before doing everything possible to win. But, obviously, it is in Pgh.

Jonathan Bales is a special contributor to SportsDayDFW.com. He’s the founder of The DC Times and writes for DallasCowboys.com and the New York Times. He’s also the author of Fantasy Football for Smart People. He can be reached at jonathan@thedctimes.com.You can follow him @TheCowboysTimes.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have three of the fastest players in the NFL in receivers Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown, and Emmanuel Sanders. Offensive coordinator Todd Haley does an outstanding job of setting up different intermediate and deep routes for those players by implementing a complex screen game. The Steelers’ wide-ranging use of wide receiver screens forces defensive coordinators to play their secondary in a manner that can potentially set up big plays downfield.
We saw an example of this in Pittsburgh’s matchup with the San Diego Chargers just last week. The Chargers played their cornerbacks in a press position on nearly every snap, taking away the Steelers’ ability to get the ball into the hands of their quick-twitch receivers right off the bat. Still, Pittsburgh showed that they can capitalize when given the opportunity.
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On a 1st and 10 at the Chargers’ 39-yard line, the Steelers lined up in a bunch trips formation, isolating Brown to the boundary (top of the screen).

Already the third quarter, it was one of the few times a San Diego cornerback played off-coverage. The Steelers had a stretch run to the right called—you could tell by the way the linemen fired off of the ball. Nonetheless, when Ben Roethlisberger saw cornerback Antoine Cason’s position, he pulled the ball from the running back’s belly.

The Steelers have a lot of plays like this one in which Roethlisberger can abandon the running play and hit a receiver on a quick screen. This particular screen to Brown resembled a traditional play-action pass, but the original intention was really to run a stretch.

The Steelers’ screen game is a major reason they’re no longer considered a “balanced” football team; they’ve thrown the ball 60.2 percent of the time in 2012, including on 61.3 percent of plays through three quarters. It’s easy to get caught up in such numbers and say the Steelers are passing too often, but the screens they run are high-percentage passes that are really nothing more than an extended handoff.

The screen to Brown went for nine yards, setting up Pittsburgh in a desirable 2nd and 1 situation. That down-and-distance is the most valuable in all of football, possessing the opportunity to strike on a big play with minimal risk; if you don’t connect, you’re still left with two plays to get one yard. The Steelers have thrown the ball two more times on 2nd and 1 than they’ve run it this year, making them one of only five teams with pass-heavy 2nd and 1 play-calling. If you see Pittsburgh in a 2nd and 1 this week, especially near midfield, look out for the long ball.

On this particular occasion, Pittsburgh knew that at the Chargers’ 40-yard line, they’d be running three plays to get the first down, if needed. Thus, the 2nd and 1 was a prime time to take a shot at the end zone.

Having just gotten caught playing off-technique, the Chargers again moved their cornerbacks into a press position. The Steelers lined up in “Gun Tight End Trips Right.” Using the coaches’ tape, you can see cornerback Quentin Jammer playing in a press position on Wallace.

Wallace ran a ‘go’ route on the play and Jammer actually did a good job of initially mirroring him. He bumped Wallace a bit at five yards and was in fine position 15 yards downfield.

Nonetheless, Jammer can’t consistently run with Wallace. With no safety help for Jammer, Roethlisberger did a nice job of recognizing the coverage and the mismatch, hitting Wallace for a 40-yard touchdown.

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On Sunday, the Cowboys need to be really cognizant of the Steelers’ screen game. Whenever the Cowboys are playing off-coverage, Roethlisberger will get the ball out to his talented speedsters whether Haley called for a pass or not.

To limit the big-play potential of Wallace, Brown, and Sanders, look for defensive coordinator Rob Ryan to have his cornerbacks play a lot of press-bail coverage—lining up in a press position to take away the quick screens but bailing at the snap of the ball to minimize the opportunity for deep passes.